My Arranged Marriage Partner Has Two Faces 23

Chapter 23

Soul was a well-known gay bar, one of the best in Lincheng. Every week, there were male dancers performing, attracting many enthusiasts from the community, and even some internet celebrities came to check it out.

“Why did you choose this place?”

As soon as Zhong Yuxiao entered, he recognized what kind of place it was. Xu Linfeng wasn’t gay, and they usually met at regular bars.

“I heard there’s a strip show tonight, all handsome and well-built bottoms. I specifically chose this place, am I a good bro or what?” Xu Linfeng winked at him. “Since you came back, I’ve been so lonely, I can’t find anyone to hang out with.”

So he was catering to his tastes.

Zhong Yuxiao dodged a man who brushed against him and inconspicuously pulled Xu Linfeng over as a shield. His dominant aura couldn’t be suppressed, and as soon as he entered such a place, he was targeted, countless bottoms and versatile men throwing themselves at him.

“Young Master Xu can’t find anyone to play with?” Zhong Yuxiao sat down in a corner of the sofa, his long legs stretched out, exuding a “stay away” vibe. “Aren’t you known for going seven times a night?”

Xu Linfeng waved his hand. “A true man doesn’t dwell on past glories. That’s all in the past.”

The booth they reserved was relatively secluded. Zhong Yuxiao didn’t like being too flashy, so Xu Linfeng specifically chose this spot. The lighting was dim, hidden in a corner where they could observe everything but were difficult to be spotted.

Zhong Yuxiao was very satisfied. “I thought you would reserve the center booth.”

He and Xu Linfeng had completely different personalities. Xu Linfeng was high-profile and flamboyant, loving to be the center of attention.

A bit like Xi Shi.

Except Xi Shi was even more arrogant, with a domineering air that was captivating, attracting both tops and bottoms. Bottoms’ legs would go weak at the sight of him, and tops like him had the urge to pin Xi Shi down and conquer him completely.

After acknowledging his desire, the lust grew wildly like weeds in spring.

“I know you’re secretly flamboyant. Sitting in the center would be openly flamboyant.”

Zhong Yuxiao raised his eyebrows, noncommittal about his assessment.

Tonight was Soul’s weekly special event, and the number of customers doubled. It was full even before the performance started, and the security guards were at the door controlling the flow, occasionally hearing complaints.

Xu Linfeng boasted, “It’s a good thing I have connections, I know the bar owner, otherwise we wouldn’t have gotten a booth.”

Because of Xi Shi, Zhong Yuxiao wasn’t in a good mood and nodded perfunctorily. “I can see that, Young Master Xu has strong connections.”

You shouldn’t say that, Xu Linfeng quickly pleaded. “My connections aren’t as strong as yours. I’ll have to ask Second Young Master Zhong for your guidance in the future.”

“Not planning to go abroad anymore?”

Abroad, he was far from home, and Xu Linfeng didn’t need his help. Asking for his guidance meant he had other plans.

This whole “catering to his tastes” act was quite purposeful.

“You know my family situation. Going abroad won’t change anything, might as well stay and fight for it. As the saying goes, ‘Give it a shot, turn your bicycle into a motorcycle.’ Who knows?”

That was true.

Zhong Yuxiao didn’t like getting involved in other people’s affairs. Since Xu Linfeng had made his decision, there was no need for him to say more. “Sounds good.”

“Night, we can hang out and drink together again.”

Zhong Yuxiao glanced around. The performance was about to begin, cheers rising and falling with the rhythm of the drums, passionate and exciting. “Let’s choose a normal place for drinks next time. I’m a married man now, it’s not appropriate to come here.”

It was too noisy here.

Being married was convenient; he could use it as an excuse without seeming dismissive, and it even made him appear virtuous.

Speaking of which, Xu Linfeng’s gossip senses tingled. “How are things with Young Master Xi?”

“Just so-so.”

“Just so-so? Have you slept with him?”

“…”

Straight to the rated-R questions.

Zhong Yuxiao lifted his leg, keeping the restless Xu Linfeng at arm’s length. “None of your business. If you’re bored, go find Xu Chengyue.”

Xu Linfeng’s face immediately turned green. “Why do you have to bring that up?”

He and Xu Chengyue were like Xi Shi and Shi Chengze, fighting every time they met. Except Xu Chengyue was much more difficult to deal with than Shi Chengze. If he wasn’t careful, he would be schemed against and lose everything. Xu Linfeng had suffered many losses at his hands since childhood.

Zhong Yuxiao thought, aren’t you also bringing up sensitive topics? He was already annoyed, and Xu Linfeng insisted on mentioning Xi Shi.

“Okay, okay, I won’t ask about your married life. Just tell me what kind of person Young Master Xi is.” Xu Linfeng took a swig of his drink. “Don’t misunderstand, I’m not interested in your legally married partner. Young Master Xi is now in charge of Chenxi International, his status has skyrocketed, just like your brother.”

Zhong Zhili took over Dingming Shengshi earlier. Besides him, Xi Shi was the second person to bypass his parents and take charge of the family business ahead of time. His status was a generation higher than other second-generation heirs in their circle.

If Xu Linfeng wanted to stay in China, he needed to establish good relationships with these people.

Zhong Yuxiao understood, but he still felt uncomfortable. “Just grab anyone here and ask, you might even find one of his ex-lovers. They definitely know more than me.”

This was an excuse, but it wasn’t entirely false. He really didn’t know Xi Shi very well.

If he did, he wouldn’t have been rejected, and he wouldn’t have been alone for so many days.

Xu Linfeng choked, wanting to laugh, but seeing Zhong Yuxiao’s gloomy expression, he didn’t dare. “It seems Young Master Xi is just like you, a scumbag who never refuses anyone.”

From the looks of it, Zhong Yuxiao and Xi Shi weren’t head over heels in love like the rumors said. His planned event could continue.

“Be careful with your words, I’m not a scumbag.” Zhong Yuxiao took a sip of his drink.

But Xu Linfeng was right about one thing. He and Xi Shi were indeed similar, both having colorful pasts. There was no need to dwell on those old matters, no need to judge each other.

So, why did Xi Shi reject him?

The more Zhong Yuxiao thought about it, the more unwilling he felt. That was his first kiss, and who knew how many people Xi Shi had kissed. He hadn’t even disdained him, yet the young master disdained him first.

It wasn’t necessarily disdain.

Zhong Yuxiao tightened his grip on the glass, his thoughts returning to a few days ago. At that time, Xi Shi had run away like a frightened rabbit. Thinking about it carefully, with the young master’s personality, if he rejected someone, he would have mocked them mercilessly, not avoid him at all costs.

Something wasn’t right.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that Xi Shi’s reaction was unusual. He sat up straight, picked up his phone, and opened the personal information Zhong Zhili had sent him before.

“You’re here to have fun, why are you looking at your phone?” Xu Linfeng leaned closer, smiling suggestively. “Night, I have a surprise for you.”

Zhong Yuxiao wasn’t in the mood to pay attention to him and just gave a perfunctory reply.

“Aren’t you curious what the surprise is?”

“Not curious.”

“…”

Zhong Yuxiao scrolled through Xi Shi’s information, not even sparing him a glance.

Xu Linfeng was deflated and gulped down his drink.

Xi Shi finished his drink in one gulp, his breath reeking of alcohol.

“Who pissed you off again?” You Jiayu finished teasing the bartender and saw a row of empty glasses in front of Xi Shi, clicking his tongue. “Let me guess, is it Zhong Er?”

Xi Shi paused, looked up at him, and slowly said, “Not him, it’s my own problem.”

“Your problem? Is it about the company?”

The shareholder meeting of Chenxi International had caused quite a stir. What happened at the meeting hadn’t been leaked, but the news of Xi Shi becoming the CEO couldn’t be contained. Everyone in Lincheng’s business circles knew that the wastrel young master of the Xi family, after playing around for twenty years, had suddenly started focusing on his career.

You Jiayu tapped the empty glass in front of him, the ice clinking. “I heard you’ve been working hard recently, busy until midnight, even living at the company. My dad keeps nagging me about it… Xi Shi, be honest, is there something wrong with your company?”

“…Get lost, it’s your family that has problems.”

“If there weren’t any problems, why would you suddenly be so focused on the company?” You Jiayu argued. “It can’t be that you’ve changed your ways after getting married. We’re birds of a feather, I know you’re not that kind of person.”

“…”

Xi Shi had a “what the fuck” expression on his face. Damn it, You Jiayu was the epitome of a “toxic friend” .

“I just wanted to use work to clear my head, to think about some things.”

But it wasn’t very effective. He hadn’t figured things out and ended up drinking at the bar again.

“It’s something related to Zhong Er, right?”

“I’m contemplating life.” Xi Shi changed the subject. “Have you ever kissed someone?”

You Jiayu almost spat out his drink. “Kissed?”

Xi Shi didn’t have a chance to speak, as You Jiayu started chattering like a machine gun. “Don’t you refuse to kiss people? I remember you even went to see a doctor. Someone kissed you before, and you almost fainted… You’re not afraid of mouths anymore?”

“…”

What the fuck, afraid of mouths.

Xi Shi was both amused and exasperated. He licked his lips. “What does kissing feel like? Have you tried it? Is it good?”

What would it feel like to kiss Zhong Yuxiao’s lips?

He had only paid attention to Zhong Yuxiao’s legs and hadn’t observed his lips carefully. His impression was vague; he only remembered they were red and moist, and he had never seen Zhong Yuxiao wear lipstick or lip balm.

“Kissing, it’s just so-so.” You Jiayu never thought that one day he would be discussing such an innocent topic like kissing with a seasoned playboy. He felt awkward and uncomfortable. “If you’re talking about pleasure, it’s definitely not as good as sex.”

There were many pleasures in bed, and Xi Shi was almost immune to them, but kissing was a blank slate for him. He was fine not thinking about it, but once he did, he felt an itch in his heart.

“Couples love to kiss, if it’s not good, why would they do it?”

Xi Shi came to a conclusion. “It must be that your kissing skills are bad, you don’t know how to kiss, that’s why you don’t think it’s good.”

You Jiayu: “…”

You Jiayu’s blood boiled under his disdainful gaze. Kissing skills were similar to bed skills. He didn’t know if others would mind, but he couldn’t stand being looked down upon.

“Your kissing skills are so good, you faint at the slightest touch!”

Come on, let’s hurt each other.

Xi Shi stopped talking and silently drank his alcohol.

A handsome face truly evoked sympathy. Even knowing that Xi Shi wasn’t a good person, seeing his dejected look, You Jiayu suddenly felt guilty. “Kissing skills can be practiced. You faint at first, but maybe it’ll get better after kissing more.”

Xi Shi lowered his eyes.

He had a psychological barrier and had seen a therapist. Desensitization therapy required him to accept a certain degree of intimate contact, but his situation was unique. He didn’t reject intimate contact, just kissing. Lips touching lips, even the slightest hint was unacceptable, his physical reaction too strong.

You Jiayu wasn’t exaggerating. Last time, their lips touched for maybe a second, and Xi Shi almost fainted.

Therefore, the doctor didn’t recommend desensitization therapy.

Xi Shi didn’t mind this. If he couldn’t kiss, then so be it. It wasn’t like he couldn’t get hard, it didn’t affect his normal life.

Until Zhong Yuxiao approached him.

That day, Zhong Yuxiao wanted to kiss him, right?

They were so close, so close that he was in a daze, and a strong desire arose within him. If they hadn’t been interrupted, would they have…

“Who do you want to kiss? Zhong Er?”

You Jiayu sighed. Since Xi Shi got married, nine out of ten times he drank, it was because of Zhong Yuxiao. They were all trivial matters, and Xi Shi didn’t want to talk about them, usually just drinking it off. This time, it seemed more serious, Xi Shi was even using work to numb himself.

He asked seriously, “Xi Shi, have you fallen for Zhong Yuxiao?”

You Jiayu didn’t know about the sham marriage, but he knew that Xi Shi and Zhong Yuxiao weren’t as loving as the rumors said. What kind of person was Zhong Yuxiao? He heard that he was now teaching at a university, so he wasn’t Xi Shi’s type.

“You have to think carefully. Besides family background, you two are completely incompatible, whether it’s education, personality, or experiences. Zhong Er is clearly a serious person.”

It wasn’t that Xi Shi wasn’t worthy of Zhong Yuxiao, but they weren’t from the same world, their values were different. Even if they could be together, it wouldn’t last. Relationships were hurtful, it was better to cut your losses early.

Xi Shi’s face darkened. “Who said I like him?”

Were serious people superior? What was wrong with him?

“Zhong Er is a weirdo, I would never like him!”

He ordered another bottle of wine, and You Jiayu quickly stopped him. “That’s not what I meant. If you really like him—”

“I don’t!”

The performance at the bar started. Shirtless male dancers lined up around the stage, all muscular, their oiled skin gleaming under the lights.

It wasn’t Xi Shi’s first time at Soul. He had even picked up dancers here before.

“Zhong Er is not my type at all. He always wears white shirts, his glasses are incredibly dorky. You haven’t seen them, those thick black-framed glasses, I’ve only seen them on my bald high school homeroom teacher.”

He looked towards the stage, his gaze unfocused, the moving dancers blurring into a mass of light, not catching his eye at all.

“Zhong Er goes to bed before ten every night, like an old man. People online talk about goji berries in thermoses, I think he’s about the same. Being with such a fuddy-duddy must be so boring.”

Thrusting their hips, caressing their bodies, the dancers stripped down to their underwear, throwing their accessories into the crowd, which erupted in cheers, drowning out Xi Shi’s voice.

You Jiayu leaned closer to hear what he was saying.

“I feel sick just looking at him, how could I possibly like him?”

His voice was so soft, almost a murmur, as if he was talking to himself rather than to You Jiayu.

The performance on stage ended, the lights shifting to the audience. The dancers lined up and walked down, the bar staff clearing a path through the crowd, leading straight to the booth in the corner.

“Whoa, someone booked the dancers.” You Jiayu clicked his tongue. “Who’s so high-profile, quite your style.”

Being able to book the dancers for a private show at Soul required a lot of money. It meant booking all the dancers for your personal service.

Xi Shi had done this before, but later, he got tired of all the tricks. He only came here to drink now, occasionally picking someone up for a one-night stand. Since getting married to Zhong Yuxiao, he hadn’t even done that.

Xi Shi wasn’t interested and didn’t even look up. He finished his drink and bit into a small ice cube. The alcohol was pungent, the slight burning sensation between his lips and teeth immediately soothed by the ice, a collision of ice and fire in his mouth.

His tongue swirled the ice cube, tasting the cold alcohol.

The ice was smooth and slippery, not as warm as his tongue. If it were a kiss, it wouldn’t be so cold. The alcohol would mingle between their lips and tongues, igniting a fiery passion.

Xi Shi chewed the ice, his throat bobbing, and suddenly felt parched.

He wouldn’t necessarily die from a kiss, right?

The neon lights flickered. You Jiayu followed the cheers of the crowd and his eyes lit up. “Holy crap, that guy is so handsome!”

He quickly nudged Xi Shi. “Forget about your troubles. Since you don’t like Zhong Er, why not find someone you like? Look over there, that man is no worse than your previous lovers. He’s a god in your gay circle.”

The bar was going wild, shouts of “so handsome” echoing around them. Xi Shi was annoyed, and with You Jiayu constantly nagging him, he glanced back.

“How is he? Not bad, right?”

The bar was noisy. You Jiayu put his arm around Xi Shi’s shoulder, leaning close to his ear and whispering, “There’s nothing that can’t be solved by a good fuck.”

The old Xi Shi was like this. After venting, he would return to normal. He didn’t want to see Xi Shi looking gloomy again, being lovesick didn’t suit him.

You Jiayu encouraged him, “If you make a move, he definitely won’t look at anyone else.”

Xi Shi remained silent, staring at the booth.

You Jiayu thought he was interested, but when he turned to look, the young master’s face was as dark as thunder, as if he was about to grab a bottle and hit someone. He shuddered and quickly moved away.

Fuck, what was going on?

“Not bad.”

Xi Shi stared at the man in the booth being given a lap dance, his eyes bloodshot, his knuckles cracking.

That was fucking Zhong Er!

His legally married husband!!

Xi Shi gritted his teeth, giving You Jiayu a chilling smile. “Do you think I look like a cuckold?”

I fucking think I’m glowing green!